snapshots (1998)

Clean live recording of a magic night, mostly solo acoustic guitar or piano with vocals. Just Plain Folks declared this "Best New Folk Album" in 2001. Recorded live at the Palms Playhouse, Davis, California on April 4th, 1998, and released in August 1998.

review

" He may sing about being a square peg in a round hole, but a Dave Nachmanoff recording fits perfectly in anybody's music collection. His latest, "Snapshots," is quite simply a work of art. It's a safe bet that we won't find anyone who doesn't like this disc. One of the reasons for its easy appreciation, among other things, is that it bridges so many gaps. Whether he's joking about love on-line ("Sometimes I Wish that You Could Spell"), anomalous weather phenomena ("Blame it all on El Nino") or how his new-found dog has changed his life ("He Threw Himself into Our Lives When He Threw Himself Into Our Car"), Dave's wit presents itself gently enough for everyone to understand, yet with a not-so-subtle sophistication that allows you to process it at your own pace. Recorded to a packed Palms this past April -- it seemed like the whole town was there, until we realized they were turning folks away -- the disc also taps Dave's softer side, with some beautiful tunes about life and love, topped by "Thing of Beauty" and "I'm From Nowhere." Of course, having a doctorate in philosophy certainly helps explain how he's able to present his ideas and weave those thoughts with such good music. Often hailed as a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Arlo Guthrie, it doesn't take but a moment to realize that Dave could open for James Taylor, Judas Priest or Ray Charles on any given weekend. And the way he's going, he just might..."- David Meyers, The Davis Enterprise, 1998